The forgotten icon that made The Edge want to play guitar: “I wanted it to sound like that”
U2 guitarist The Edge has said Rory Gallagher was the first guitarist to make him want to play. Gallagher’s raw, distinctive sound helped shape The Edge’s belief that a guitarist should develop a recognisable voice, a principle he later pursued through very different techniques.
The Edge recalled Gallagher’s battered early-1960s Fender Stratocaster and said, “if I pick up a guitar, I wanted it to sound like that”. While Gallagher relied on forceful playing and tone, The Edge built his sound with delays and other effects, often around relatively simple figures. The article links that approach to U2 tracks including ‘New Year’s Day’ and ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’.
- Rory Gallagher first sparked The Edge’s interest in guitar.
- Gallagher’s distinctive tone left a lasting impression.
- The Edge pursued individuality through effects and delay.
New here? Start with this
Rory Gallagher was an Irish blues and rock guitarist known for his raw, forceful playing style and distinctive tone. He gained prominence in the 1960s and 1970s but has become a less familiar figure in mainstream music, though he remains respected among many guitarists. Gallagher played a battered early-1960s Fender Stratocaster and became renowned for his highly recognisable guitar voice.
The Edge is the guitarist with U2, the Dublin rock band that emerged in the late 1970s and became one of the world's most commercially successful groups. His approach to guitar relied on delay effects and studio techniques rather than raw, forceful playing. This technique became central to U2's sound on tracks including 'New Year's Day' and 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For'.
Gallagher was a formative influence on The Edge, particularly in shaping The Edge's belief that a musician should develop a recognisable voice and personal style. However, the two guitarists pursued this principle through very different means: Gallagher through his raw tone and forceful technique, and The Edge through technology and effects. This contrast demonstrates how the same artistic aspiration can be expressed across different generations and through contrasting musical approaches.